1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to the discharge arrangement used on an axially arranged rotary separator for more uniformly distributing the discharged crop material other than grain in a transverse swath out the rear of the combine.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Agricultural combines are large machines that harvest, thresh, separate and clean an agricultural crop. The resulting clean grain is stored in a grain tank located on the combine. The clean grain can then be transported from the grain tank to a truck, grain cart or other receiving bin by an unloading auger.
Axially arranged rotary combines have one or two large axial crop processing units located along the longitudinal axis of the machine for threshing and separating the harvested crop material. These axial crop processing units are provided with an infeed section for receiving harvested crop material; a threshing section for threshing the harvested crop material received from the infeed section; a separating section for freeing grain trapped in the threshed crop material received from the threshing section; and a discharge section for discharging crop other than grain out of the axial crop processing unit.
The harvested crop is delivered to the infeed section by the feederhouse. The crop is arranged in a crop mat that the infeed elements of the rotor need to take up and rotate into a helical flow. The helical flow of crop material moves from the infeed section to the threshing section and then to the separating section. Grain together with chaff located in the crop material is removed from the axial crop processing units by falling through grates located at the bottom of the units. Crop material other than grain, such as straw, enters the discharge section of the crop processing units from the separating section. The discharge section then expels the crop material other than grain out the rear of the combine or directs this material to a straw chopper located at the rear of the combine.
It is important to distribute the crop material other grain in a uniform transverse swath out the rear of the combine to better manage crop residue on the ground. Currently axially arranged rotary combines used specialized discharge elements on the rotor for directing the crop material to a transverse beater. It is difficult for this type of discharge arrangement to have both excellent material discharge characteristics and excellent transverse distribution in a wide variety of crops and crop conditions. Usually either the combine has excellent material discharge characteristics and marginal transverse distribution or vice versa.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a discharge arrangement that has both excellent material discharge characteristics and also excellent transverse distribution characteristics in a wide range of crops and crop conditions.
To minimize the disruption of the helical flow of crop material other than grain in the discharge section, the crop engaging elements mounted to the rotor are the same in the discharge section as they are in the separating section. This makes the helical flow of crop material other than grain more uniform.
In the discharge section, the casing for the axial crop processing unit terminates in a metering edge. This metering edge has a downward swept side and an upward swept side as defined by the rotation of the axial crop processing unit""s rotor. Located immediately below the metering edge is a discharge chute for directing the flow of crop material other than grain to a transverse beater. The transverse beater expels crop material other than grain directly out the rear of the combine or directly to a straw chopper.
The metering edge overhangs the discharge chute. The metering edge has a downward swept edge and an upward swept edge that are joined at the bottom dead center of the metering edge. The downward swept edge of the metering edge increasing opens as the metering edge extends downwardly to the bottom dead center of the metering edge. As the metering edge extends upwardly from the bottom dead center defining the upward swept edge the metering edge increasingly closes. The downward swept edge of the metering edge opens at a slower rate that the upward swept edge of the metering edge closes.
The discharge cute is provided with a sloping floor, a downward swept side wall and an upward swept front wall. The downward swept side wall is provided with an upstream panel and a downstream panel. The upstream panel extends from the bottom dead center of the metering edge to the downstream panel. Both the upstream panel and the downstream panel of the downward swept side wall extend transversely and rearwardly. The downstream panel extends rearwardly to a greater degree than the upstream panel. The upward swept side wall also extends transversely and rearwardly from the bottom dead center.